Taping machine



De 1932- H. M. EATON 1,889,888

TAPING MACHINE Filed March 7. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jZZ/67ZZO7 ,72Z 7 ace/Kw 7'6 @waazmv Patcnted Dec. 6,, 1932 UNITED STA E HORACE M. EATON, or swAMrsooT'r, MASSACHUSETTS, assrenon 'ro EXCEL warme FFECE MACHINE 00., 0F LYNNtMA SS ACI-IUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS C'TAPING MACHINE Apphcation filed-March 7, 1930. Serial no. 434,140.

This invention relates to an improved ma-; chine for applying tape. to sheet articles andmore particularly to-articles of this charsheets having marglnal portions stitched together and have the body portions of thesheets disposed substantially face to face as fed to the machine. In some respects the present invention provides I improvements and January 10, 1929,- respectively.

In accordance with. the present invention,

. an improved arrangement is provided' for guiding the sheet articles to pressingmeans such as a pair of rolls which areeffective in pressing coated tape into firm'adhesive engagementwith the back seam portions of shoe uppers. ber may be arranged not only to spread the body portions of each sheet away from the seam but also to cause theinitial contacti and particularly is adapted" to operate efiiectively for these purposes with a machine pro vided with a cutter such as is disclosed in copendingv application Serial No. 331,550.

Preferably a spring is provided for this pur-- pose which has a free end portion that presses the seam portion of the ShQQt'ZIItLClG downwardly into en'gagement'with a suitable surface or surfaces of aguide which receives the seam portion of the article and directs the same towards the bite of the pressure rolls and which also preferably directs the tape to the bite of the rolls. The paths of the sheet article and the tapemay converge-at the inner end of the guide which provided with a substantially plane surface against;

which the end of the spring presses the seam portion of thearticle, thus not only being effective in spreading the body portionsof the sheet so that they tend to extend away'from the seam'but also causing initial'adhesive' For this purpose a yieldable'meim' engagement of thetape and the seamed per :tion of the sheet article while aiding in inssasss suring the movement of the seam in' proper relationlto the pressure rollers, Preferably at least one of these rollersmay beprovidedf with. a suitable groove to accommodate the seam to permit the more even application of pressure to all portions of thetape particu- 'larly to'marginsthereof at eachside of the seamed portion of the sheet article;

upon the machines disclosed in the copending applications of Leland K.- Butler, Serial Nos. 267,715 and 331,550, filed April 5,1928 I blocks or guides-thus being protected from contact with th'e moving tape. Preferably A machine ofthis character may be,,pro-' vided with acutterwhich normally ls d1sposed m retracted POSltlOIlJbGtWGGIl cutter end of theguiding andfpresser spring.

be arranged to swing downwardly to engage the cutter block which adjoints the bite'of the rolls thus cooperating with the surface of the saine in pressing the severed endof "the severed tape section againstrthe, sheet v article and being particularly effective 111' a dingthe proper movement'of the article to the bite of the rolls afterthe tape, section has been freed from the restraining action of. the tape guide or channel and when the sheet article isno longer inengagement with the guidei In the accompanying drawlngs; Fig. 11s an end elevation of a portion of a tape applying machine to which my im 1 chine, the yieldable presser and related parts;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the posi- 7 tion of the parts as the tape is being severed and while the tape and sheet article guide are both retracted;

Fig. 4 is a top-view of a guide for a sheet article and tape to be applied thereto; f Fig. 5 is a section on line 5- 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig.6 is a view similar to Fig. l'but showing. an optional form of guide; k

; ,.;Fig. 7;is a section online7,'7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a View of the juxtaposed portions.

lationship-of the end of thepresser spring to a seamed sheet article, rein-forcing tape, and the inner end of the guide.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

' the numeral 1 designatesfthe base of amachine such as is disclosed in the above "identified copending applications nu1neral.2.desigmay be movably mounted in. relation to the base and may carry an upper pressure roll 3 Wl11Ch,; during .normal' operation of the. ma-

. chineyisyieldably urgedtowardla lower pres-- 1 :su-reroll at. that isanounted on tl1e base 1.

in the above identified copending; applications niaynbe :provided'tosrotate the pressure rolls i at substantially thesame peripheral speeds- A run of adhesively-coatedtape 5 may be sup= nplied'fromany suitablesoureesuch asa roll. of this material (not-shown),'this runpassetion of ,thealower part of the lower. r0114, pzthencevpassing over apin OI'I'OllQIiPOI'tlOIl ,1 0-'.of:a takeupmember-Q which is normally surged outwardby a suitable spring (not shown) to take up theslack in the tape as it "passes to the tape: and-sheetarticle 'gui-de.-12,'

' i the latter being. provided with-a slotted portion113 througlrwhich:theltapepasses to a second slot or-a channel 14 i (Fig. 4) :at its:

*-ably-the sur'faces of the guide adjoining the ridge 16 are flared as designated by numeral 18 to effect thespreading of the marginal portions of -a sheet article A such as thebackpontiono'f asatin shoe upper. "Suitableupstan'd- "ing sideportions '19 are provided at either side of the ridge 17 and afford-flanges 20 extending inwardly in juxtaposition :to the ridge 16 to cooperate'therewith in guiding "the rollswhile'permitting the=marginalportions' adj oining the seam to" be spread from the latter.

A spring-controlled catch 21' has a serrated edgesportion'which is adapted' to-engage the tape before-it passes to the-slot 13 of the guide andto prevent the backward movement of the tape under the action ofthe arm 9 or for any other reason.

Aknife or cutter rib adjoining the slot or channelld'. Prefer-- the seam of thesheet article A to the bite'of 25 is disposed adjoining the guide when the latter is in normal position, then being retracted between upper and lower knife blocks 23 and 24 so that during I normal operation the moving tape is protected from contact with the edge of the knife. Mechanism which operates to project the-knife into engagement with the tape is -fi1St8ffGCtlVe in moving the guide 12 away from the bite of the rolls to the position shown 'inFigI3 sothat when the knife projects into engagement'with thetape it sever-s tape section, which is gripped between the nates an upper frame or head portion which from possible rearward movement by the catch'21; I

=As'shown in 'Fig; 8 the peripheral surface p :ofthe-upper r0113'preferablyhas-a transverse r-Stntable driving means such as disclosed concave curvature while the periphery'of the lowerroll l inay ha-ve:atransverse curvature of the upper roll," therebybeing effective in cooperating therewith in turning and-shap- -ing the sheetarticleias the-same is being rein- -forced by:the adhesive tape. T he periphery of the lower roll may. also be provided with a-groove'90 to receive the: seam portion of the sheet-.article-so that pressure may be applied not only toithis portion but to the adjoining partsof' the body portion of the sheet to permitthe adhesive-applicationof the tape 1 not-only to" the edgesof' the sheets which are "folded over or crushed adj oining'theseam but i also'tothelbody portions ofthe sheets which are disposed: outwardly. of said marginal portions. 1 Y p Ingeneral itis to be understood thatthe foregoingdescription appliesto a machine such as is disclosed in copending applica- 'tio-n'Serial No. 831,550, the various 'instrumentalitiesfor operating the cutter and for moving the guide' out of the path of thesa-me being described: and disclosed in detail in said copending application which 1 is incorporated: in the present application by refer- -ence: andmaybe' regarded as I forming apart 0f the same.

7 A ridged-guide ofthe general character ofthe gu1de'12 disclosed herein is .alsoshown in copendingapplication- Serial H In accordance with the present invention.

the=upper:end of spring 30 is secu'red' to a bracket 31whi'ch is secured to the head 2 and which-has a curved depending arm 32 hav ng =a general curvature in-thedirection of-the l curvature of the periphery of the upper pres- 2 the sides of this spring adjoining its edge gradually merge into a somewhat'rounded or bluntly pointed end portion 34. hen the guide 12is-positioned as shown in Fig. 1 it provides an end portion 4:1 "disposed inwardly oftlie tape channel 14 and the spring 30 is so flexed that it presses downwardly upon the sheet article and the tape which is passing over the end portion ll-of the guide (Fig. 9). Thus the presser spring 34 iseffective in causing the body portions of the sheets to spread away from the-seam portion of the sheet article A and in pressing the suring the smooth and uniform application of the adhesively coated tape to the seam portion of the sheet article.

As the rear edge of the sheet article approaches the bite of the rolls, the operator will cause the guide 12 to swing downwardly to the position shown in Fi g. 3 and whereupon the cutter 25 is automatically projected to sever the tape, thus the severed tape section may have a length which preferably may be slightly less than the length of the seam which is being reinforced. Under these conditions, the resiliency of the spring 30 causes its end to press the sheet article and the end of the tape section downwardly against the upper cutter block 23 thus cooperating-with the latter in impartinga suitable drag upon the end of the severed tape section and insuring the proper initial coiita ct of the same with the seam before it is pressedin firm adhesive engagement therewith. Under these cond1 tions, when the article and'tape section have moved out of engagement with the guide 12, the s T1110 30 1S narticularl advanta eous in v h C) L ensuring prop-er engagement of the tape with the seam portion of the sheet article and in properly CllZGCtilig; the article and tape to.

the pressure rolls. When the cutter" is'retracted the uide 12 may return to itsiiormal operating position being effective in inserting the severed end of the tape runbetweenthe rollers and also in flexing the spring 30 so that its end port on resumes the posi tion shown in Fig. 1, thus being ready again to impart pressure to the seam of asucceeding sheet article.

When leather be r inforced with an adhesively coated tape,

a guide such as shown in Figs. 6"and 'Z ina be prorid d having a block portion 60 ii i a groove 61 to receive the seamed portion of,

the upper member andhaving a tape channel .62 adjoining the inner endof the guide,

the extreme end of the latter designated by numeral 41 being positioned in the same gen- 2. lnamachine of the back seamedportions are to eral manner asrthe inner end All Of the guide 12 and cooperating.witlitheguidingv and presSerspringSO' in the same general man- 7 ner. Accordinglyjitisevident that the prin-' ciplesof thisinventionmay be employedwith a, sheetarticle formed of satin or similar fabric and having appreciable marginalportions adj oining the seam which must be folded back before" the reinforcing tape is applied thereto or that it may be employed for the 'l reinforcement of leather articles which have i narrow marginal portions which need merely to be crushed or pressed downwardly as the reinforced tape is applied thereto.

From the foregoing it is evident that 1 8 have provided means which permit the initial adhesive engagement of coated tape with a seamed. sheet article-before these elements pass between the main pressure applying elements such as pressure rolls, and that.this

means may also be effective in spreading the body portion of the sheets away from the seam wlnle. imparting an initial pressure to the seamed portion, i. e. the margins of the sheet directly ad oining the seam. At the sanie g timethis arrangement insures the proper ap plication of a severed end of a tape-section to'the last portion of a seamed article which passes to thepressure applying rolls."

1: :lnaimachine of theclass described, a pair of juxtaposed rolls, meansfor supplying adhesivetape between the rolls, and guide means adjoining the .rollsfor sheets which are stitched substantially face to face, said;;{-,{ guide means including a partyielda-bly to engage the body portions of the 'sheetsf-adjoining the seam, and. a member providinga 1 surface against which the seam is pressed by said member, whereby the-sheets are spread away from the seam and the article isdirected betweenthe rolls and into adhesive engagement-with the'tape. Q, 7

class described, a pair of'rolis, a guide for alsh'eet article com- .510 prisingsheets stitched substantially face'to face, said guidehavinga portion to engage the seam, of said article and another portion forming a tape guide,a spreading and, guiding member juxtaposed to said guide were $15 ranged yieldably to press thegsheets adjoining the seam toward a portion of the guide which-is juxtaposed tothe rolls, thereby spreading the sheets, from the seam. i

3'. In a machine of the class described, ag-.120

pair of rolls, a guide for a sheet article con pr ing sheets stitched substantially face to face, said guide having a portion to engage the seam of said article and another portion forming a tape channel, a spreading and guiding inemberjux'taposed to said guide and arrangedyieldably topress the sheets'adjoining' the'seain toward a portion of the guide which 1 is junta-posed to the 1 rolls, thereby spreading the sheets frointhe seam,said

to face, said guide having a portion to engage the seam of said article and another portion forming a tape guide, a spreading andguiding member juxtaposed tosaid guide and arranged yieldably to press the sheets adjoining the seam toward aportio'n of the guide which is juxtaposed to the rolls, thereby spreading the sheets from the seam and thus properly directing the seam to the peripheral groove of the roll.

5. In a machine ofthe class described, a pair of rolls, a guide for a sheet article comprising sheets stitched substantially face to face, said guidehaving a portion to engage the seam of said article and another portion forming a tape guide, the end of said guide adjoining the bite of the rolls being arranged so that the tape and sheet article pass into contact, and a spreading and guiding member arranged yieldably to press the sheet article and tape toward said end of the guide thereby spreading the body portions of the sheets from the seam and initially pressing the same into engagement with the tape before passing between the rolls.

6. In a machine of the class described, a

pair of rolls, a guide for a sheet article comand a spreading and guiding member 'ar-' ranged yieldably to press the sheet article and tape toward said end of the guide thereby spreading the body portions of the sheets from the seam and initially pressing the same into engagement with the tape before passing between the rolls.

7 In a machine of the class described, a

pair of rolls, a guide for a sheet article com+ prising sheets stitched substantially face to face, said guide having a portion to engage the seam of said article and another portion forming a tape guide, a spring having'an end portion with a curvature in the same general direction as thatof the periphery of one of the rolls and having its end juxtaposed to the guide member and arranged yieldably to press the sheets adjoining the seam against saidguideand to spread the body portions of the sheets from the seam.

8*. In a machine of the class described, a pair of rolls, a guide for a sheet article comprising sheets stitched substantially face to face, said guide having a portion to engage the seam of sa1d article and another portion forming a tape guide, a spring having an end portion with a curvature in the same general direction as that of the periphery of one of the rolls and having its end juxtaposed to the guide member and arranged yieldably to press the sheets adjoining the seam against said guide and to spread the body portions of the sheets from the seam, said tape guide portion being arranged to supply the tape in adhesive engagement with the seam as it to face, said guide having a portion to engage the seam of said article and another portion forming a tape guide, a spring having an end portion with a curvature in the same general direction as that of the periphery of oneof the rollsand having its end juxtaposed to the guide memberand arranged yieldably topress the sheets adjoining the seam against said guide and to spread the body portions of the sheets from the seam, and thus properly to direct the seam to the peripheral groove of the roll.

10. A. machine for acting upon a sheet article comprising two sheets which are stitched together, said machine comprising a portion for applying pressure to the seam, a guide to direct adhesive tape into engagement with the seam as it passes to said means and to direct the seamedportion of the article to said means, and a presser member yieldably urged toward said guide to cooperate therewith in spreading the body portions of the sheets away from the seam and in yieldably pressing the seam against the tape, as the article and tape pass to said pressure applying means, said guide being movable out of uxtaposition to the presser member, and a part positioned to cooperate with the presser member in initially pressing the tape and seam when the guide is thus moved.

11. In a machine of the class described, a pair of juxtaposed rolls, means for supplying adhesive tape between the rolls, and guide means adjoining the rolls for sheets which are stitched substantially face to face, said guide means including a presser yieldably to engage the body portions of the sheets adoining the seam, a member providing-a surface to cooperate with the presser in pressing the seam, whereby the sheets ar-e spread away from the seam and the article is directed be tween the rolls and into adhesive engagement with the tape, a cutter movable to a position to sever tape passing to the rolls, said member being movable away from the presser when the cutter is actuated, and anotherpart providing a surface similarly to cooperate with the presser when the first member is moved away.

12. In a machine of the class described, a pair of rolls, a guidefor a sheet article comprising sheets stitched substantially face'to face, said guide having a portion to engage the seam of said article and another portion forming a tape guide, a spring having an end portion juxtaposed to the guide member and arranged to cooperate therewith yieldably to passage of the tape and seam to said pressure applying means.

igned by me at vBoston, Massachusetts this 28th day of February 1930. I

. HORACE M. EATON.

press the sheets adjoining the seam and to spread the body portions of the sheets from the seam, and a cutter movable from a retracted position to a cutting position, a block adjoining said cutter, said guide beingmov able away from the spring when the cutter is-moved from retracted position, the spring end being arranged to cooperate with the block in initially pressing the article when the guide is moved away from the spring.

13. In a machine of the class described, a pair of rolls, a guide for a sheet article comprising sheets stitched substantially 'face to face, said guide having a portion to engage the seam of said article and another portion forming a tape guide, a spring having an end portion juxtaposed to the guide member and arranged to cooperate therewith yieldably to press the sheets adjoining the seam and to spread the body portions of the sheets from the seam, and a cutter movable from a retracted position to a cutting position, a block adjoining said cutter, said guide being movable away from the spring when the cutter is moved from retracted position, the

spring end being arranged to cooperate with a the block in initially pressing the article when the guide ismoved away from the spring, the spring resuming its normal cooperative relationship to the guide when the latter is returned into juxtaposition thereto.

14. A machine to apply reinforcing tape to the seam portion of a sheet article that comprises two sheets which are stitched together, said machine comprising means for applying pressure to the seam, a guide to direct adhesive tape into engagementwith the seam as it passes to said means and to direct the seam portion of the article to said means, said guide having a ridge, the end of the guide providing a substantially fiat surface adjoining the end of the ridge and adjoining said means, and a member yieldably urged toward the end of the guide to cooperate with the substantially fiat surface of the ridge to cooperate with said surface in flattening the body port-ions of the sheets away from the seam and in yieldably pr-ess- I ing the seam against the tape'prior to the 

